Materials and Sustainable Development
- 1st Edition - January 19, 2015
- Author: Michael F. Ashby
- Language: English
- eBook ISBN:9 7 8 - 0 - 1 2 - 8 0 2 5 6 2 - 8
This book, from noted materials selection authority Mike Ashby, provides a structure and framework for analyzing sustainable development and the role of materials in it. The aim is… Read more
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Request a sales quoteThis book, from noted materials selection authority Mike Ashby, provides a structure and framework for analyzing sustainable development and the role of materials in it. The aim is to introduce ways of exploring sustainable development to readers in a way that avoids simplistic interpretations and approaches complexity in a systematic way. There is no completely "right" answer to questions of sustainable development – instead, there is a thoughtful, well-researched response that recognizes concerns of stakeholders, the conflicting priorities and the economic, legal and social aspects of a technology as well as its environmental legacy. The intent is not to offer solutions to sustainability challenges but rather to improve the quality of discussion and enable informed, balanced debate.
- Winner of a 2016 Most Promising New Textbook Award from the Textbook and Academic Authors Association
- Describes sustainable development in increasingly detailed progression, from a broad overview to specific tools and methods
- Six chapter length case studies on such topics as biopolymers, electric cars, bamboo, and lighting vividly illustrate the sustainable development process from a materials perspective
- Business and economic aspects are covered in chapters on corporate sustainability and the "circular materials economy"
- Support for course use includes online solutions manual and image bank
Students of materials science and sustainable engineering at the undergraduate and graduate level, including interdisciplinary courses and programs in sustainability; materials and design engineers
- Acknowledgements
- Preface
- Chapter 1. Background: Materials, Energy and Sustainability
- 1.1. Introduction and Synopsis
- 1.2. Sustainable Development – A Brief History
- 1.3. Materials – An Even Briefer History
- 1.4. Critical Materials
- 1.5. Energy – Units and Quantities
- 1.6. Resources, Consumption, Population, Affluence and Impact
- 1.7. Summary and Conclusions
- 1.8. Exercises
- Chapter 2. What is a “Sustainable Development”?
- 2.1. Introduction and Synopsis
- 2.2. What Does “Sustainability” Mean?
- 2.3. Defining “Sustainable Development”
- 2.4. Articulations of Sustainable Development
- 2.5. Summary and Conclusions
- 2.6. Exercises
- Chapter 3. Assessing Sustainable Developments: The Steps
- 3.1. Introduction and Synopsis
- 3.2. Dealing with Complex Systems
- 3.3. A Layered Approach to Assessing a Sustainable Development
- 3.4. Assembling the Layers
- 3.5. Summary and Conclusions
- 3.6. Exercises
- Chapter 4. Tools, Prompts and Check-Lists
- 4.1. Introduction and Synopsis
- 4.2. Step 1: Clarifying the Prime Objective
- 4.3. Step 2: Stakeholder Analysis
- 4.4. Step 3: Fact-Finding
- 4.5. Step 4: Informed Synthesis
- 4.6. Step 5: Reflection on Alternatives
- 4.7. Summary and Conclusions
- 4.8. Appendix: Creativity Aids – A Brief Survey
- 4.9. Exercises
- Chapter 5. Materials Supply-Chain Risk
- 5.1. Introduction and Synopsis
- 5.2. Emerging Constraint on Material Sourcing and Usage
- 5.3. Price Volatility Risk
- 5.4. Monopoly of Supply and Geopolitical Risk
- 5.5. Conflict Risk
- 5.6. Legislation and Regulation Risk
- 5.7. Abundance Risk
- 5.8. Changing Expectation of Corporate Responsibility
- 5.9. Managing Risk
- 5.10. Summary and Conclusions
- 5.11. Exercises
- Chapter 6. Corporate Sustainability and Materials
- 6.1. Introduction and Synopsis
- 6.2. Corporate Social Responsibility and Sustainability Reporting
- 6.3. Case Studies: Corporate SRs
- 6.4. Summary and Conclusions
- 6.5. Exercises
- Chapter 7. Introduction to Case Studies
- 7.1. Introduction and Synopsis
- 7.2. The Structure of the Case Studies
- 7.3. Articulations of Sustainable Development That Went Wrong
- 7.4. Summary and Conclusions
- 7.5. Exercises
- Chapter 8. Scaling Up Biopolymer Production
- 8.1. Introduction and Background Information
- 8.2. Prime Objective and Scale
- 8.3. Stakeholders and Their Concerns
- 8.4. Fact-Finding
- 8.5. Synthesis with the Three Capitals
- 8.6. Reflection on Alternatives
- 8.7. Related Projects
- Chapter 9. Wind Farms
- 9.1. Introduction and Background
- 9.2. Prime Objective and Scale
- 9.3. Stakeholders and Their Concerns
- 9.4. Fact-Finding
- 9.5. Synthesis with the Three Capitals
- 9.6. Reflection on Alternatives
- 9.7. Related Projects
- Chapter 10. Case Study: Electric Cars
- 10.1. Introduction and Background
- 10.2. Prime Objective and Scale
- 10.3. Stakeholders and Their Concerns
- 10.4. Fact-Finding
- 10.5. Synthesis with the Three Capitals
- 10.6. Reflection on Alternatives
- 10.7. Related Projects
- Chapter 11. Lighting
- 11.1. Introduction and Background Information
- 11.2. Prime Objective and Scale
- 11.3. Stakeholders and Their Concerns
- 11.4. Fact-Finding
- 11.5. Synthesis with the Three Capitals
- 11.6. Reflection on Alternatives
- 11.7. Suggested Projects
- Chapter 12. Solar PV
- 12.1. Introduction and Background Information
- 12.2. Prime Objective and Scale
- 12.3. Stakeholders and Their Concerns
- 12.4. Fact-Finding
- 12.5. Synthesis with the Three Capitals
- 12.6. Reflection on Alternatives
- 12.7. Suggested Projects
- Chapter 13. Bamboo for Sustainable Flooring
- 13.1. Introduction and Background Information
- 13.2. Prime Objective and Scale
- 13.3. Stakeholders and Their Concerns
- 13.4. Fact-Finding
- 13.5. Synthesis with the Three Capitals
- 13.6. Reflection on Alternatives
- 13.7. Suggestions for Related Projects
- Chapter 14. The Vision: A Circular Materials Economy
- 14.1. Introduction and Synopsis
- 14.2. The Ecological Metaphor
- 14.3. The Scale of the Vision
- 14.4. The Circular Materials Economy
- 14.5. Creating a Circular Materials Economy
- 14.6. Summary and Conclusions
- 14.7. Exercises
- Chapter 15. Data, Charts and Databases
- 15.1. Introduction and Synopsis
- 15.2. The CES Sustainability Database
- 15.3. Using the Elements Data-Table
- 15.4. Using the Materials Data-Table
- 15.5. Using the Power Systems Data-Table
- 15.6. Using the Energy Storage Systems Data-Table
- 15.7. Using the Legislation and Regulations Data-Table
- 15.8. Using the Nations of the World Data-Table
- 15.9. Summary and Conclusions
- Chapter 16. Guidance for Instructors
- 16.1. Introduction and Synopsis
- 16.2. Problem-Based Learning
- 16.3. PBL and Sustainable Development
- 16.4. Organizing the Project; Scheduling the Activities
- 16.5. Assessment
- 16.6. Feedback from Students (UPC Course “Sustainable Design” 2012, 2013)
- 16.7. Summary and Conclusions
- 16.8. Suggestions for Further Projects
- Appendix. Useful Numbers
- Index
- No. of pages: 328
- Language: English
- Edition: 1
- Published: January 19, 2015
- Imprint: Butterworth-Heinemann
- eBook ISBN: 9780128025628
MA
Michael F. Ashby
Mike Ashby is one of the world’s foremost authorities on materials selection. He is sole or lead author of several of Elsevier’s top selling engineering textbooks, including Materials and Design: The Art and Science of Material Selection in Product Design, Materials Selection in Mechanical Design, Materials and the Environment, Materials and Sustainable Development, and Materials: Engineering, Science, Processing and Design. He is also co-author of the books Engineering Materials 1&2, and Nanomaterials, Nanotechnologies and Design.
Affiliations and expertise
Royal Society Research Professor Emeritus, University of Cambridge, and Former Visiting Professor of Design at the Royal College of Art, London, UKRead Materials and Sustainable Development on ScienceDirect